Use the promo code vinyl10 to get 10% off any new and used vinyl on Amoeba.com.

Starting a record collection? Or trying to round out the one you have? Here's a list of 100 records, in alphabetical order, that most people can agree are essential listens. I picked based on two criteria: essentialness and availability. If there's no reasonable way you can pick up the album in store at any given time (and for under $40), it's not on there. If you'd like to head straight to shopping, check out this handy feature at our online store. Enjoy!

The folks at Record Store Day have just released their list of titles that will be either exclusive for Black Friday (Nov. 29, the day after Thanksgiving) or will be an early release on that day. Below I picked some highlights to look for; check out the whole list of Black Friday releases that will be available at Amoeba here (.pdf). Better line up early for these!

A compilation of Bob Dylan tracks that have never been released formally on an album, now released on a triple-LP set. Enough said.

Track list:

LP 1:
Baby, I'm in the Mood for You
Mixed-Up Confusion (Single Version)
Tomorrow Is a Long Time
Lay Down Your Weary Tune
Percy's Song
I'll Keep It with Mine
Can You Please Crawl out Your Window? (Single Version)
Positively 4th Street
Jet Pilot
I Wanna Be Your Lover
I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met) (Live)

LP 2:
Visions of Johanna (Live)
Quinn the Eskimo (Mighty Quinn)
Watching the River Flow
When I Paint My Masterpiece
Down in the Flood (Live)
I Shall Be Released
You Ain't Goin' Nowhere
George Jackson (Acoustic Version)
Forever Young
You're a Big Girl Now
Up to Me

Use the promo code vinyl10 to get 10% off any new and used vinyl on Amoeba.com.

In honor of the upcoming Record Store Day, I decided to make a list of 20 records I think everyone should own on vinyl. Take this Record Store Day to build a nice foundation for your record collection. I picked this list based on pretty arbitrary criteria, including what critics generally think are great, what I think is great, what I think particularly sounds good on analog-warm vinyl, and what you won’t have to pay $100 for or scour for (e.g. no hard-to-find ’90s vinyl or things out of print). I also left it to one album per artist. These aren't in any particular order. Send any omissions to this list to idontcare@makeyourownlist.com. Or just leave a comment!

In my mind, The White Album is the greatest Beatles album, but you can’t beat the utterly perfect one-disc punch of Revolver. It should go without saying that every Beatles album is essential and is worth owning on vinyl yadda yadda, but if you have to start somewhere, do it here. Their catalog was recently reissued on vinyl in stereo mix, so you should have no trouble finding them if you’re just starting out — and you should have no trouble finding quality replacements, if your old Beatles LPs are worn out.

Fresh back from a sell-out night at the cavernous Brooklyn Bowl last weekend in NYC with his ever-popular traveling Prince Michael Experience party, San Francisco's Dave Paul is back on his home-ground tonight when, along with his longtime party DJ partner Jeff Harris, will pack the dancefloor at the Madrone Art Baron Divisidaro with their other long running, retro dance party That 80's Show. Last Friday night in New York, I attended Paul's wildly fun Prince/Michael Jackson themed party which packed in about a 1000 happy party people at the Brooklyn Bowl where folks were lined round the block in the rain waiting to get in (some were turned away) - most impressive considering that was only the second time he had taken this party to New York City, and on a weekend night! I took some photos including one above of Paul deep in the mix as a dancing Michael Jackson impersonator (one of a few of the night) worked the crowd. Last night I caught up with both Paul and Harris to ask them about their popular dance parties and to list their top five or top ten dancefloor favorites for tonight's That 80's Show party - a refreshing mix that runs the gamut of disco, new wave, rock, club, and r'n'b.

One day at Amoeba Hollywood I proclaimed that Aztec Camera's 1983 release High Land, Hard Rain was one of the best records of the '80s. This single statement eventually led to over 200 Amoebites ranking their top 10 favorite albums from the ‘80s.

From the beginning we realized that it was impossible for most of us to condense our favorites from all genres into a tiny top ten list. So, we limited our lists to Rock/Pop and its sub-genres like punk, metal, goth, and new wave. Even so, it was a difficult selection process because not only are there hundreds of amazing records to consider, there is also the added dynamic of time.

The '80s were a long time ago and the music has had many years to gestate. We have a deep sense of nostalgia and sentiment with these albums as our fondest memories are associated with them. These are albums we LOVE.